Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-05
THE FIRE AT MISS u.Rnvnr.s
Testimony in the ArS0n Case I'm ehS
Criminal Court.

Yesterday, after THE STARS report closed. thu
trial OF Mary j. Mcbride and Jno. ". dcFar,ant
on the charge OF arson In setting re to the bouss
No. 515 18th street. On June 80 last was continue,
Mr.. Wash. b. Williams testified that fin the fa,
or 1885 he sold carpets and some chamber sets
which were delivered at the house on 18th street
He found about $50 worth OF the-furniture ate,
the nre at 1jo4 street. There was about saOC
que him on the furniture. Miss Mcbride said she
did not know how the furniture got TO the house
on L street. Geo. Butterfeld and Thos. R. Har
ney, clerks In the Pension ONCE identified the LET
yer signed "MrS Dugan," and the one taken TO Mr.
HHcwaFd, claiming the insurance as being in MIS-
Dugan" was put in evidence 1t purported tS
0e dated at Berkeley Springs w. Va. June ~
4 ~ ana q, was addressed TO "Mr. Mcfarland.
gratlned to learn that you have got my things
housed with such wise people. Are you quite sure
t M; D~ VIII not find where they are and give
eileM annoyance! nope you took every precau.
tiOn 10 prevent them from being traced by him,
nor iet MIN see them being moved"
~; Multiply, chlef clerk Of the Pension once,
Iestlned tnat at the date OF the letter dune II
from Berkeley Springs, Miss Mcbride was on duty
Id the Office, and that On June 20 and 30 and july
for h iease OF ABSENCE stating that it was
Jno. W. stewart testified that he ran the eating
saloon IN the basement OF the house SIS llth
day OF the fire about $40 O'clock. and seemed
mucn excited Mcfarland ate at the rooms also
OUT uid not take breakfast that morning It was
shortly after 10 O'Clock when the witness smelt
something burning, and going out from the Kitchen
ne saw nre bursting out through the blinds Of Miss
he,o h room He had smet coal Oil for week
oelOIe tne nre and as none was used in the base
ment ne could not tell where it came from but
tnought IL was from upstairs
THE TESTIMONY TODAY,
Inc trlai was resumed this morning. and John
". stewart testlned that he was present at the
lire when the firemen made hole Ia the wall and
En
faIlanu come there and witness told him to gu
ana tell Miss Mcbride that the house was on Are
". Mnen sne come she was much excited and said
Il am ruined forever. Saw white man come with
some MOWERS for Miss Mcbride and told him where
ner room was. On cross-examination by Mr.
Taylor, witness said Mcfarland came bet wt,en holi
past 10 and IL O'Clock that morning Some M the
ooarders had not taken breakfast that morning.
ny Mr. Cook-WitneSs repeated that Miss Nc.
brlde was somewhat excited when at breakfast
when She was conversng with Mr.. Moore. 1t was
IN witness dining-room where the nremen broke
the mole In the wall, and it seemed that cotton
Miss Mcbride
Mrs Anna Brown testified that she was engaged
WIN stewart In catering in the basement or SIS
objection the district attorney stated that he, ex-
pected TO show that the sub-tenauts had not been
nOtlnea OF MISS McBndes intention to move The
Witness had been in the house about six weeks
ano aIter Miss Mcbride had taken her breakfast
witness went up stairs to see her.
meals; knew Mcfarland, who took breakfast be.
1ore MN; dld not get his breakfast that morn.
ing because OF the fire. Witness helped to move
the furniture from the back room on the main
door a few days before. which he placed in the
back shed. Mcfarland said he was going to have
1t vanished. First saw the rire coming ont of the
back window on the main floor.
Leonard MackaH testified that he took breakfast
there the morning OF the fire; observed that Miss
witness, and 1t was about an hour after that when
he heard the alarm.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Cook.-Witness was not
acquainted with Miss Mcbride but had eaten AT
the same table with her; never exchanged a word
with her. She kept up a conversation with the
gentlemen with her, and was excited and ner-
HIP. Howard testified that he was shown throudh
the rooms, and Miss Mcbride did not say that any
OF the furniture belonged to another person. The
appra1sement was $500, and at his suggestion
she took out general policy. To the best OF his
knowledge Miss Mcbride did not say that Mr. Will
ham ms had n deed OF trust on her property.
and he appraised the furniture after the fire some
OF which had been damaged by fire. smoke and
water. He also made list OF that at 1904 street
and in the ally; included all In the appraisement
VIM Hardness testified that with his push-cart,
at the request OF Mcfarland, he moved a Trunk
and satchel from the back room On the main floor
OF 5l5 11th street TO the Baltimore and Potomac
depot about two weeks before the fire. He AFTER
ward saw the articles In the house after the fire.
John Green testified that Mcfarland came to
him near the depot and gave him ticket to Alex
andrta, saying he had concluded not to 60
Cyrus Martin testified to furniture having been
moved from the house by the back way and he
asked Mcfarland about 1t, and he said 1t had been
borrow from lady, who wanted it returned.
Jno. WIN. Jones testified that he was boot
black. and Miss Mcbride was one OF his customers.
and In June last, at her request. he moved some
furniture for her about a week before the fire
Jos. S. Coolidge testified to Mcfarland bringing
furniture TO his place, back OF the Hamilton
House, to be repaired, saying he would call In a
few days
JAS. n. Kuhns testified that he took charge Of
the house for the insurance company, and none OF
the furniture was moved away till the inventory
was made by Mr.. Dyer,
On cross-examination by Mr.. Cook, witness said
That the holes In the walls were such as were cut
by nremen